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It's not like he has any other realistic option but to accept the Red Sox' bid. It's been apparent for a while now that Varitek and the dastardly Boras severely misread the market for his services. (It's somewhat stunning that Boras hasn't whispered into the ear of one of his media lackeys saying the Yankees are interested, just to amp up the buzz.) Perhaps Varitek overrated the value of his own skills/intangibles in his own mind. Certainly the player and his agent made a tremendous tactical blunder in rejecting arbitration, and don't for a minute believe the revisionist history and agent-speak that he didn't know a first-round compensatory pick was attached. They simply believed some team thought he was worth the price. No one does. Maybe MLB general managers aren't as collectively clueless as we think.

There are many logical reasons for Varitek to accept the deal. Boston is familiar to him, comfortable, his baseball home. His legacy is with the Red Sox. Terry Francona is overly loyal to his veterans, so it's assured he'll get significant playing time even if a young catcher is acquired in a deal. And he has a great rapport with pitchers who, seemingly to a man, appreciate his knowledge and dedication.

It's the best place for him -- heck, it looks like it's the only place for him. The Red Sox have apparently put a deadline on the offer. Finally and at last, we'll get some answers, and find out about something about his true character as well.

The Red Sox have made Jason Varitek a more than fair offer. We'll see if he can refuse.

If he does, it tells us all we need to know:

It's not about pride in the uniform or being a great teammate and dedicated captain.

It's about the money and the contract and the delusional belief that a better proposal will come. And nothing more.

About Touching All The Bases

Irreverence and insight from Chad Finn, a Globe/Boston.com sports writer and media columnist. A winner of several national and regional writing awards, he is the founder and sole contributor to the TATB blog, which launched in December 2004. Yes, he realizes how lucky he is.